As the influx of tourists and influencers continues to overwhelm London’s top dining spots, locals are taking matters into their own hands. But unlike the protests and creative “tourist deterrents” seen in some European cities this summer, Londoners have turned to a subtler form of gatekeeping. Their strategy? Bombard mediocre chain restaurants with over-the-top, five-star reviews to lure tourists away from their favourite haunts.
This trend has grown into a coordinated, city-wide “lovebombing” campaign to attract tourists to mediocre restaurants, safely leaving the real hidden gems in local hands. Angus Steakhouse, a chain known well by Londoners, has been a prime target for these fake glowing reviews. In one review, a diner boasts about trying the exclusive “Swiftloin steak sandwich” (a non-existent Taylor Swift-inspired special), inviting tourists to seek out the “authentic” London experience. The reviews read as a mix of humour and mild exasperation, clearly designed to attract thrill-seeking tourists without hinting at the inside joke.
How Locals Are Pulling Off This Fake Review Scheme
To make the lovebombing tactic effective, locals have taken to Google, X, Reddit, and TripAdvisor with highly exaggerated descriptions of everything from the service to the ambience, peppering the reviews with “must-try” menu items and “hidden” specials that don’t exist. The fake reviews cover everything tourists look for insider recommendations, exclusivity, and social media-ready food experiences.
In one hilarious example, Eater correspondent Jaya Saxena noted that while the strategy might work for now, it’s unlikely to last. Jaya told Thrillist, “If suddenly a restaurant were getting hundreds of good reviews at once, that might trigger suspicion.”
News flash Jaya, Google’s system has very little moderation and almost no algorithm to catch these deceptive reviews—especially if they’re positive.
Why Google Can’t Catch These Reviews
The success of this review scheme highlights the weaknesses in Google’s review system. Google’s reliance on unverified user data means it’s practically impossible to get reviews – positive or negative removed. Here’s why the current system is failing:
- Location Verification: All the reviews appear legitimate because they come from users located in London, as confirmed by IP address or geolocation.
- Search Intent: The reviewers search for the specific restaurant names, which is natural user behaviour and shows clear intent.
- Profile Interaction: The users are engaging with the Google Business Profile, scrolling through (probably spending some time giggling at the other reviews), and leaving a glowing review, all the things Google thinks are genuine.
In this situation, Google’s overreliance on these markers rather than genuine user verification results in “computer says yes”, allowing the fake reviews to slide through undetected.
The Fragility of Google’s Review System
This situation underscores Google’s overdependence on reviews as a ranking signal for Google Business Profiles. For 19 years, Google has relied on this approach, failing to verify user reviews as genuine. The issue is that, for Google, whether authentic or not, user data fuels the machine, driving business decisions and ranking signals. Removing reviews from the ranking algorithm might curb the influx of catfish tourists. However, it wouldn’t stop them from filtering restaurants by rating, so they’d still encounter these inflated reviews.
Google needs a thorough verification system for reviewers. Although Google claims to use user signals for verification, this scheme reveals how easily these signals can be manipulated, especially with so many users in one location acting in unison.
Will Google Act?
In all likelihood, Google won’t make any drastic changes. The reason? User data remains valuable, and if the data seems reliable, the system will keep accepting it. This approach, however, could gradually degrade search results, misleading tourists while locals keep their favourite restaurants under the radar. The locals’ creative approach to gatekeeping highlights the enduring fragility in Google’s handling of user-generated content, raising the question: How long until Google rethinks its system?
The lovebombing campaign continues as tourists flood into Angus Steakhouse searching for the elusive “Swiftloin” while London’s best restaurants remain safely tucked away for the locals.
Bon Apetit
After years of detailed reports on fake reviews being rejected (positive and negative) Online Ownership no longer deals with reviews as part of our Google Business Consulting, sorry.
Related Articles
- Why Most Fake Google Business Reviews will Never be Removed
- Google Business Cannot Control Incentivised Reviews
- Reporting US Businesses with Fake & Incentivised Reviews
- Google Reviews Insanity, When a Spam Review is Not a Spam Review
- When Fake Good Reviews are Bad for Business